John Kerry, Beacon Hill Party Animal.

In 2004, the people thought he was wooden. Aloof. Out of touch with the common man.

No one wanted to have a beer with him because it’d probably be a foreign and unpronounceable brew, made with boysenberries and the blood of Flemish peasants or something.

But when you’re running for President, you really don’t get the opportunity to show the best sides of you. The side that likes to rock out at boat parties, for example. As many experienced boat partiers already know, those red cups are significant; the red cups hold more awesome.

Beacon Hill is much the same way. It’s quiet, and has a large contingent of very, very rich people (like John Kerry) who like to work 12-16 hour days and then come home to total silence in the heart of the city.

But hiding in Beacon Hill’s narrow, cobbled streets is a small army of Suffolk Undergraduates, and the patrons of a few rowdy roof decks. From the chalk-scrawled bricks of the Beacon Hill Pub, to the classic and highly ironic “Curley for Mayor” poster at 21st Amendment, Beacon Hill is a neighborhood that knows a good time.

The best part is that living there gives you a ready-made excuse, should anyone catch you enjoying a little too much good cheer. Where John Kerry can fall back on his status as a Senator, merely posing for photos with constituents,  you can fall back on your address as evidence of your upstanding moral character.

Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret.

Open Houses for the Monocle-and-Spats Set

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Open Houses for the Monocle-and-Spats Set

You know what the nice thing about open houses is? They don’t come with credit checks.  No one denies you entry if you can’t produce a 20% down payment. Interest is a reasonable 0%, and that’s fixed rate, payable over whatever amount of time you feel like looking at the house for.

That means that even if you don’t work for Fidelity, or have all the plush income apparently associated with hanging signs on the Mass Pike, you can still work your way into some of the most expensive properties in Boston, provided you don’t arrive reeking of Thunderbird and looking like you spent the previous night over a T grate on the Common.

So straighten out that collar, dust off those spats, and polish up your best monocle—this weekend, you’re heading out to the swankiest open houses in the swankiest parts of town: Back Bay and Beacon Hill.

347 Commonwealth Ave. #2
Back Bay, MA 02115
2 Bed, 2.5 Bath
2,200 sq. ft.
$2,750,000
Open House, Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

33 Pinckney St.
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
5 Bed, 3.5 Bath
2,503 sq. ft.
$2,225,000
Open House, July 27, 2008 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

58 Pinckney St. #A
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
3 Bed, 3.5 Bath
1,712 sq. ft.
$1,899,000
Open House, Sunday, July 27, 2008 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

If You don’t Like the Weather in Boston…

Boston Sweet Digs Home

If You don’t Like the Weather in Boston…

Whatever you do, don’t say you’re sick of the rainy weather. First of all, it’s Boston; you’ve seen worse before and you’ll see worse again. Second, you’re gonna have to get used to it—for the next week at least.

So what is there to do in this weather, other than getting to know the poor schlub in the basement apartment while you’re lending him your Wet-Vac? Well, you could hop the T and head out to Somerville, where the residents say “it’s good for the plants.”

Or you could carefully trek over the Longfellow to Cambridge, and watch Prius drivers curse their lack of ground clearance, as they bog down in the flood and short out. Or head to the enormous climate-controlled Prudential Mall and try to boost the flagging economy with a little consumer spending.

Or you could move somewhere that allowed you all these rainy-day opportunities. Maybe that’s why Bostonians aren’t too keen on whining about the weather.  Some new listings for you:

274 Clarendon St
Back Bay, MA 02116
1 Bed, 1 Bath
686 sq. ft.
$519,000

4 Walnut St. #7&8
Beacon Hill, MA 02108
2 Bed, 1 Bath
1,023 sq. ft.
$875,000

236 Beacon St. #1A
Back Bay, MA 02116
1 Bed, 1 Bath
493 sq. ft.
$334,000

A Few Words on Upper Beacon Hill

Boston Sweet Digs Home

A Few Words on Upper Beacon Hill

I have an acquaintance who is very into a place called Upper Beacon Hill. Upon arriving in Boston a few years back, I just sort of assumed that this meant the top of the hill, but as I learned a short time later, it’s something else entirely.

A more geographically accurate name would be the East Slope, since the North and South slopes already use that style of appellation. But no—Upper Beacon Hill is what it’s called, though I think a pretty fair argument can be made that it might very well be a neighborhood unto itself.

Up until 1900 or so, Upper Beacon Hill was very much a part of the rest of the the Hill. But as successive waves of Irish and Italian immigrants crowded into Boston, the Beacon Hill Brahmins, who once lived right up to the edges of Scollay Square, crept back over the hillside, eventually landing in palatial homes on the South Slope and Louisburg Square.

Cambridge and Somerset Streets, on the other hand, became ever more a part of the vibrant, loud and just a little bit shady Scollay Square area, and we all know what happened to that. While some stately high rises from before the turn of the century remain, much of the neighborhood was raised and rebuilt, right along with Government Center and the West End.

The photo in the upper right is of Pemberton Square in 1885, care of the Boston Atheneum’s collection; here’s a view of Pemberton Square today. I wouldn’t say Upper Beacon Hill is any better or worse than the rest of the neighborhood, but you’d be hard pressed to argue that it’s not different.

Some properties, in and nearby:

21 Beacon St #8D
Upper Beacon Hill, MA 02108
0 Bed, 1 Bath
290 sq. ft.
$220,000

20 Beacon St #3
Upper Beacon Hill, MA 02108
3 Bed, 3 Bath
2,310 sq. ft.
$1,895,000

21 Bowdoin St #2C
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
1 Bed, 1 Bath
619 sq. ft.
$379,000

Poetry Friday for Wine and Open Houses

Boston Sweet Digs Home

Poetry Friday for Wine and Open Houses

The Back Bay summer air is fetid
They built on swamps—and now regret it.
But still, the weekend days are yearned for;
Clever residents outfox the fervor.
As heatwaves grow the more intense
They think not of things the heat prevents,
For they know what summer best allows is
To get soused, and look at open houses.

3 Gloucester St #5
Back Bay, MA 02115
0 Bed, 1 Bath
347 sq. ft.
$276,000
Open House, Sunday, July 20, 1:30pm-3:00pm

46 Comm Ave #10
Back Bay, MA 02116
1 Bed, 1 Bath
788 sq. ft.
$615,000
Open House, Sunday, July 20, 12:00pm-2:00pm

103 Beacon St #1
Back Bay, MA
1 Bed, 1 Bath
845 sq. ft.
$590,000
Open House, Sunday, July 20, 12:30pm-2:30pm

A Summer Scene from Beacon Hill

Boston Sweet Digs Home

A Summer Scene from Beacon Hill

While plenty of people around the city of Boston dread summer and its upsurge in violence, open windows and hot weather bring conflict of a different sort to Beacon Hill.

Let me recount an episode I witnessed last summer:

I was biking home, and as soon as I turned (illegally) from West Cedar onto Phillips, I heard a car horn. A few blocks up the hill, a moving van boxed in an SUV while a well dressed man leaned on the horn through the open driver’s side window.

Being the car-hating sort, I found it entertaining, but a young couple a few doors down was less entertained:

Young Woman: Hey, could you please stop honking your horn?

Irate Driver: No! Not until these guys move the stupid truck.

Young Man: If you don’t stop honking, we’re calling the police.

Irate Driver: Good, call the police! Then they can get these jerks to move their truck

Young Man: You’re ruining the quality of life for everyone else!

Irate Driver: No, [indicating movers] they’re ruining it!

Young Woman: No, they’re providing a valuable service and contributing to the economy, at the cost of five minutes of your time. You’re just being a jerk.

C’mon, where else are you gonna get banter like that outside your window? The 6th story of a condo tower on the Greenway? A sprawling ranch out in Sudbury? Heck, even in Back Bay, the streets are too wide for good old-fashioned hollering out the window.

Maybe, with the right crowd of people, you could create a similar scene in the North End, but there’d probably be a lot more shouting and less reasoning. And let’s face it, if you wanted that, you could just go on the internet.

Farmer’s Market Season
Boston Sweet Digs Home

Boston Has a Bubble—But not the Way you Think

Since this time last year, the feds bailed out Bear Sterns, IndyMac collapsed, and it’s pretty much even-money on whether Lehman Brothers or Amy Winehouse will kick the bucket next. Don’t even get me started on Countrywide.

George Soros, who made a square billion predicting the collapse of the Pound Sterling in the early 1990s, said we’re looking at a catastrophic bear market. Even Martin Feldstein, the man behind the spend-now-earn-later-ethos of Reaganomics, predicted a fairly serious economic slide in the foreseeable future.

The government even stated it will bail out the two largest mortgage lenders in the history of the known universe, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should the need arise. Oh, and to top it off, the Dow is down over 3,000 points since this time last year—that’s 23% for those of you playing at home.

So, how can it still cost $460 a month to park your car downtown? How is real estate in Back Bay still going for $750 a square foot? Is a somewhat debatable drop in high-end condo sales the worst this impending economic catastrophe has to offer the Hub?

Boston must have some sort of Simpsons Movie style-bubble protecting it from all this. That, or the inevitable credit-crunch shoe has yet to drop. Your call. Here are some Back Bay homes around that $750-per-square-foot mark:

239 Comm Ave #53
Back Bay, MA 02116
2 Beds, 2 Baths
1,215 sq. ft.
$865,000
$712/sq. ft.

231 Marlborough St
Back Bay, MA 02116
5 Beds, 4.5 Baths
5,552 sq. ft. (big!)
$4,400,000
$793/sq. ft.

166 Beacon St #4
Back Bay, MA 02116
2 Beds, 2.5 Baths
1,701 sq. ft.
$1,499,000
$881/sq. ft.

Open Houses: Make it a Roof Deck Sunday

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Open Houses: Make it a Roof Deck Sunday

This time of year, there’s nothing quite like a roof deck.  A cool evening breeze after a hot day, long views across a relatively flat city, a cold beverage, perhaps—there’s really not much else that can replicate the feeling. The fact that people seem not to use them all that much in this city kinda blows my mind.

While most any roof deck in the city pales in comparison to that one over in near Kenmore Square (y’know, with the complimentary $100 dollar food voucher?), there’s still something to be said for having some open space slapped on to the top of your building. Last week’s fireworks, for example, were stunning from the Beacon Hill parapets (at least until the all that pesky smoke got in the way).

So fight back against the legislators that would ban rooftop gatherings—go see some open houses with roof decks this weekend! They’re often reasonably priced, and offer by far the best way to unwind after a sweaty bike ride home or a jam-packed T ride.

234 Beacon St #5A
Back Bay, MA 02116
1 Bed, 1 Bath
674 sq. ft.
$509,000
Open House, Sunday, June 13, 12:00pm-1:30pm

59 Phillips St #7
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
1 Bed, 1 Bath
472 sq. ft.
$379,000
Open House, Sunday, June 13, 12:45pm-2:00pm

145 Pinckney St #111
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
1 Bed, 1 Bath
660 sq. ft.
$450,000
Open House, Sunday, June 13, 12:00pm-1:00pm

The Newbury Street Starbucks: Where They Really Care

Boston Sweet Digs Home

The Newbury Street Starbucks: Where They Really Care

The Church Street Starbucks in Harvard Square made my enemies list today. Let me tell you how.

I should begin by saying I’m not all that big a fan of Starbucks in general. I’d much rather sit down to milk art on a latte flavored with homemade caramel sauce, and let the world drift by me as I sip at someplace like the divine L’Aroma Cafe.

But sometimes you’re in a hurry, or out of town, or mad at the world, and you want something you know will feel good, without the quirk and personal touches that make a local coffee shop great. And it’s only the best Starbuckses out there that give you that fast, friendly, efficient service that you need in those times.

My day job’s in Harvard Square. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great coffee shops there, too, but I was in a hurry and wanted something cold and caffeinated posthaste. So rather than walk all the way around the corner to Peet’s, I figured I’d head over the Church Street Starbucks for a Chai Frappuccino. When I got there, though, the place was packed.

No big deal, I thought, I’ll just wait in line. While I’m not the sort who’s above cheating the queue late-night at Daisy Buchanon’s, Starbucks’ service is fast enough that I’ll be in and out in a minute or two; besides, all these folks probably need refreshment as much as I do.

Thing was, the shop had about 4 different baristas taking orders, and plenty of other sunken-eyed coffee fiends just weren’t feeling as philosophical about their addictions as I was.

I was OK with the the confused looking elementary schooler who stumbled in front of me to buy a sandwich, but when the guy who’d already been served his iced-venti-mocha-whatever came back around to the counter with a pound of coffee to grind, I was getting miffed.

So when, after both people in front of me had engaged at the register, another barista came by and asked for the next “guest”, I stepped over to him and ordered. And he said “Ok,” in a psuedo-polite tone of voice, “but could you get back into line where you were so things don’t get all, like, mixed up?”

Faux pas, bro. First off, I’ve spent enough time working jobs like yours to know that “Are you sure you were the next person in line?” or “I’m sorry, I think someone else was ahead of you” is the proper way to address a line-jumping customer.

Second, I’m the guy who’s been standing here patiently while you’ve been serving whoever felt like barging up to the register. And thirdly, though I’ve got plenty of spit to waste showering you in colorful descriptives, you ain’t worth the time and there’s another Starbucks over at the Harvard Square Garage.

Though I doubt the Church Street Starbucks is suffering for lack of my $4.20, I think they deserve some online recognition for their poorly-run shop. I’ve seen crowds of the snootiest, most thoughtless Bostonians, in full-on shopping rampage mode, flood the Newbury Street Starbucks (between Dartmouth and Exeter) and the staff has shuffled them through, happy and caffeinated, with the efficiency of a Swiss watch.

Maybe it’s because those Newbury baristas know that certain Back Bay customers will make their lives living hell for five full minutes if an order is even slightly botched, but I like to think it’s because they care. The fact that I can’t tell proves this is a level of service you just can’t get at the Natick mall.

So here are some properties walking distance from what my well-traveled palate considers to be one of the finest Starbucks in the land:

160 Comm Ave #413
Back Bay, MA 02116
1 Beds, 1 Bath
977 sq. ft.
$695,000

271 Dartmouth #5B
Back Bay, MA 02116
0 Beds, 1 Bath
521 sq. ft.
$325,000

201 Newbury St #506
Back Bay, MA 02116
2 Beds, 2.5 Bath
1,314 sq. ft.
$895,000

Boston Sweet Digs Home

The Price of Solitude? $700/square foot

The Price of Solitude? $700/square foot.

One of the nice things about Beacon Hill is that a stroll around the block almost a unique experience, at least on this side of the Atlantic.

Never mind the layers of history or the architectural complexity; where else in the heart of an American city can you walk around the block and enjoy total reprieve from the sex-crazed, fuel-injected, weight-loss-or-triple your money back bombardment of consumerist culture?

Even in the most tucked away portions of Back Bay and the South End, there are tiny boutiques, just waiting to spring out at you—tastefully, of course, but their presence remains all the same.

Only a few spare corner stores, laundromats and dry cleaners serve to break the spell in Beacon Hill, and you’d be hard pressed to pick them out at a moment’s glance.

And then there’s the traffic. While parking might be a bear, the convoluted maze of narrow one-ways that passes for transportation infrastructure on the Hill all but eliminates the constant, squawking roar of motor vehicle traffic.

That’s not a quiet neighborhood; that’s solitude. And you want to know the price of solitude? Check out Sudbury’s reaction to a simple bike path—and that’s 45 minutes of gridlock west of here, with nary a Whole Foods in sight.

51 Anderson St. #1
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
2 Beds, 1 Bath
615 sq. ft.
$439,000

69 Myrtle St #6
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
2 Beds, 1 Bath
1,110 sq. ft.
$789,000

59 W Cedar St #5
Beacon Hill, MA 02114
1 Beds, 1 Bath
625 sq. ft.
$459,000

Keeping Safe on the Mean Streets of Beacon Hill

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